TIPPING - - SO OUT OF HAND NOW it's absurd!

[chief38]

We went out Saturday evening with our regular Saturday night 4 couple group and dinner was absolutely spectacular. We ate in our favorite Sushi restaurant, however as great as the dinner was, they really don't have much in the way of desert. We knew that going in and we did seek out a Yogurt Store nearby (first time going there).

The Yogurt Store is self serve, the kind that you walk in, grab a bowl and fill it with your choice of any or all of 18 flavors, toppings and fruit and then the group (or individual, but in this case desert was on me) places their bowls on a scale and you pay by the ounce - regardless of what the combo of ingredients are. The bill came to $42 bucks and I inserted my Visa card to pay. As soon as the charge was approved, a tip screen came up - HA. I could not contain my frustration and asked, "a tip
- for what"!!?? This is a self serve establishment! We were not so much as handed a bowl, napkin or spoon.

Needless to say, I did not leave any tip but received a nasty look from the cashier who I truly don't even know how to describe! We will not be going back their to be treated like morons. Oh, and BTW, the waitress at the Sushi restaurant was such a great server, we left her a 30% tip - no kidding! I generously tip as deserved and do not tip when nothing at all (not even a thank you for coming) is done.

This has really gotten totally out of hand!

 

[Nevada Ed]

There is a fruit stand at a curb in town that sells fresh fruit and produce.

They even have a large jar on a table with "Tips" taped to it.

Hellow.

 

[ladder13]

They want us on some guilt trip. Sorry, tell your boss he needs to pay you more.

 

[Fullmetaljacket]

I just made the final arrangements with the caterer for my daughters wedding, scheduled for a few weeks from now. As we were settling the payment details the caterer said that I could go ahead and add in the gratuity for the staff. Wait, what? I get paying for the food in advance but isn't the tip supposed to be for the service, the actual preparation and serving of the food to the guests? I politely declined and assured her that I would tip the staff based on the service we received. Am I missing something here? If I don't like the food or service are you going to issue me a refund for the "gratuity"? Have I misunderstood the purpose of tipping for the last several decades? Trying not to be a grumpy old man but it gets harder every day.

 

[UncleEd]

Sushi and yogurt? Oh good grief.

And for a catered affair, at least 15 percent
should be added in for staff--ahead oif time.
Prevents getting stiffed and knowing the crew
will be taken care of.

 

[johngalt]

yet another reason to pay cash.

 

[NFrameFred]

We're supposed to feel bad that the owner refuses to pay a decent wage, and many establishments pay next to nothing expecting the help to live off of tips. Too many things have evolved like this to take advantage of people who need these subsistence jobs. I'm sympathetic, but it doesn't change the concept of TIPS or has been coined, To Insure Prompt Service.

I seem to be in good company (old ?) here and tip based on the service received, not a forgone conclusion. At one time I found a pack of business-sized cards in a novelty store that featured a large graphic of a penny with the inscription off to the side "If the service had been better, the tip would have been bigger". For particularly bad service (where you can just tell the server just doesn't care and moves like they have dead lice falling off them) I left one of them a couple of times with a single penny laying on them; the wife was embarrassed by my action even though she agreed the service really sucked.

I generally try to tip 15-20% for good service and have tipped more depending on a perceived need or exemplary effort. But I'm reluctant to be guilted into rewarding laziness, slothfulness, apathy and an entitlement attitude just because it's 'expected'. The fact that owners/management don't seem to see the need to train new hires in good service and manners (admittedly, my kids were taught that at home and my daughter was an excellent waitress, helping put herself through college waiting tables) serves to explain the problem. That and an entitlement attitude prevalent these days that was rather rare when I was growing up. Kids and employees tend to live up (or down) to expectations if given clear direction and training.

 

[FlyTyinFool]

...Have I misunderstood the purpose of tipping for the last several decades?...

Nope!
But the "service industry" has!

Like most everyone else, I tip very generously for good service.
That's because I appreciate it!

 

[Rudi]

I rarely go out. When I do I pay cash. I tip for good service and don't tip for bad or no service.

 

[pawngal]

I don't mind a tip jar on the counter but when prompted by the CC reader to Add Tip and it was self service, nope. I've run into that in airports.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

A really cute waitress took my order at a restaurant I eat at one to three times a week. I could see ordered a similar but not what I wanted. I corrected her. She brought me the meal, and then the bill, with no corrections. The wrong meal is $2 more than the correct meal otherwise the look the same. So, when I paid, the extra cost came from my standard tip! She would probably never know, except the manager on duty saw the whole thing, and pointed it out to the district manager. I am sure if this was an isolated incident she would have been corrected, but I've not see her since! I mentioned it to my server today. Her comment was, So that's what happened to her. This waitress isn't very cute and has made mistakes, but she really takes care of the customers!

BTW while waiting for my salad to arrive today, I saw a new waitress serving a party of 13 (including 3 little girls at a separate booth.) She brought out a tray with 16 to 20 baskets on it followed by another tray of 10 or 12 baskets, She got each to the correct person without a question bout who get this! There was minor interruption when she found one basket wasn't the correct order and gave the kitchen staff "what for!" and had it corrected in less than 2 minutes! I talked to my waitress about it, She told me that's the new girl, but she has a few years of waiting tables in college. She quit her corporate job, because she makes almost double as a waitress! A former waitress/bartender/asst. manager, told me she made up to $1500 on a good sports day (12 hours) and about $700 and any weekday (8 hours).

Using your brain pays off!

Ivan

 

[Golddollar]

I seem to be in good company (old ?) here and tip based on the service received, not a forgone conclusion.

I used to tend bar at the American Legion when the Sons were acting as volunteer bartenders to get the bar up and running. No salary but we got to keep the tips. It definitely was an education into the lives of people who work for a living for tips. So I tend to be fairly generous with tips. I always tip in cash. If I'm somewhere I'm not known I put a stack of Golden Dollars in the server's hand and state that the coins are dollars and not quarters. But my tips are always for service, not because a screen says I should.

 

[Kinman]

I only tip based on service for the most part, I know people struggling to make ends meet and tips are a large part of their income. Poor service will be treated in like manner, great service will result in an 18-20% tip. Its easy for me as the local sales tax is 9.18% so doubling the tax and rounding up or down accordingly makes it simple. I have no problem tipping a good waiter, I do not tip for take out or anything I buy over the counter in a grocery store. I tip the pizza delivery guy a couple bucks because I know the owner. I don't tip the mailman but have been known to buy a round for a crew doing some work for me, making sure they all know I appreciate their good work and watch me give the money to the foreman for a job well done. My dad taught me about leaving a tip when I was a kid, he used to leave a quarter under his coffee cup or bill under the saucer. I'm not as generous in a strange place or town but locally I can afford to pay someone for their good service and gladly will in return we are always treated in a decent manner, surely waiters are rare and are tipped accordingly.

 

[LVSteve]

On Saturday I was in a Vegas branch of the store in the OP. I noted the same thing on the credit card checkout device. I noted that the zero tip button took a couple of goes to get it to accept input. I wonder why.

 

[Imissedagain]

An old joke in the boating business in South Florida.

What's the difference between a canoe and a Canadian?




A canoe tips.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

When I was in my early 20's, for a two week period I had to make an everyday run to a small ton to pick up mail. There was a donut shop next to the Post Office. I went in the first day with $2 in my hand and waited my turn for a large coffee w/cream and a stick donut to go. $1.15 total, KEEP THE CHANGE, The next day $2 in hand after one person same order and KEEP THE CHANGE. Third day, I walk in the door to a small crowd of people $2 in hand, the girl hands me my usual order and away I go. For two weeks this went on. On the last day (2nd Feiday) I walk in she hands me my order, J hand her a $5 bill with a note clipped to it, "My job is over, thanks for the service." and have never been back. That was a trick to get quick service my dad taught me. Dad wouldn't have given the 5 or the note, but unlike him, I was grateful for the service! Now days we have Randy's gold dollars to make us stand out.

Ivan

 

[Moo Moo]

An old joke in the boating business in South Florida.

What's the difference between a canoe and a Canadian?




A canoe tips.

Very good. Just like here in Australia. Virtually zero tipping apart from high class restaurants and hotels (and I can't afford there anyway). But our "labour" (labor) laws are different with a higher minimum wage so the staff don't expect or depend on tips.

 

[ladder13]

Tips are included in meal prices in Italy, or at least the places we've been to.




Four years ago we were having lunch around noon in a little restaurant hidden on a side street in Venice. The food was excellent, as it is all over Italy, made fresh right there. The waitress was so very attentive we just decided to give her three Euros more. We left the tip on the table.

She was off doing something else as we got up to leave. All of a sudden here she comes and with a big smile says in English, "we are open for dinner at 5 o'clock".

We did not go back as there were more restaurants we wanted to sample. Every one of them was excellent, as expected.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Been doing Movie and Dinner dates with the wife.........

Dinner prices seem to be up about 15-20% and they are suggesting 25% tips on the cc receipt...... "double dipping" on the amount of the tip!

$100 meal use to be $15-20.

Now the $120 is a $30 tip!

 

[chief38]

Sushi and yogurt? Oh good grief.

And for a catered affair, at least 15 percent
should be added in for staff--ahead oif time.
Prevents getting stiffed and knowing the crew
will be taken care of.

Well, at least it was FROZEN Yogurt.